Apparatus for destroying and removing marine growths which impede navigation



E BELL APPARATUS FOR mas TROYING AND REMOVING MARINE GROWTHS WHICHIMPEDE NAVIGATION Filed Feb. 28, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l l NV E NTO RATTORNEYS MW 2 u 3 a Winn? l m 8 S MGN w R J, 1 R m 2. My JUWQN/ 4 J .mm m e W I R .4 ,m l m N u 2| 1/ mm W 0A I, W WW8 NW 1w Rw m? x ns Em LBnmm 0 Emm SIM E D H R n M o mm A m P P A Dec. 5, 1939.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1939. E. BELL APPARATUS FOR DESTRO INVENTOR E. BELL2,181,863 APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING AND REMOVING MARINE GROWTHS WHICHIMPEDE NAVIGATION Filed Feb. 28, 1938 4 Sheets-Shegt 4 lNVEN-TORATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 5, 1939 Lithtbi PATENT GFFMZE APPARATUS FORDESTROYING AND BE- MOVING MARINE GROWTHS WHICH IM- PEDE NAVIGATION EddieBell, Jacksonville, Fla.

Application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 193,157

4 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices fordestroying and removing marine growths, such as the rapidly growin waterhyacinth and similar floating aquatic growths which obstruct the surfaceof navigable waters and impede, if not prevent, navigation.

It has been the custom to gather and remove the growth from an area tobe navigated and redeposit the same at outlying points on the watersurface. When thus redeposited the same usually works back to theoriginal area from which it was removed and again impedes navigation.Due to the tremendous weight of the growth and the availability of landwhere its deposit is not objectionable, the cost of removing the sameand depositing it on land is prohibitive.

If the water hyacinth or similar aquatic growth is cut up, finelycomminuted or ground and strewn upon the surface of the water, it willdecay and sink to the bottom and thereby be destroyed.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide an apparatusfor removing marine growths impeding navigation, grinding or treatingthe same and discharging the comminuted or ground'mass back into thewater where the same will sink and be destroyed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the abovedescribed character equipped with suction means for removing the growthfrom the water and conveying the same to a grinding means and subsequentdischarge back into the water.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the abovedescribed character adapted for mounting upon the deck of a water craftfrom which the same may be operated over various predetermined areas ofwater.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of theabove described character having auxiliary means for effectivelyloosening certain of the marine growths from the bottom of the waterwhereby the same may be removed by the suction means.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, appended claims and annexed drawings,

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designatelike parts throughout the several views:

Fig. '1 is a side elevation of a water craft illustrating my inventionmounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3, 44, 55and 56 of Figure 1, respectively.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 'l'! of Figure 6. I

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 1.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 3.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional View illustrating the auxiliary meansfor loosening or removing the growths from the bottom of the Water.

Fig. 11 is a detail front elevation of the grapple employed in theapparatus illustrated in Figure 10.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating the drive mechanismfor operating the grapple.

In practicing my invention I provide a water craft 5 of typicalconstruction having a deck 6 on which is a deck house i and in which islocated a motor 8 for operating said craft by means of the usualpropeller drive 9.

Mounted on the deck and within'said. deck house are a pair of motors i6equipped with drive shafts II for operating a pair of marine growthremoving and grinding devices, one of said devices being operable abouteach side of said craft.

Inasmuch as both of said devices are of substantially identicalconstruction, a detailed description of one device will suffice, itbeing understood, for the purpose of description, that the referencenumerals indicative of parts of one device are indicative of like partsof the other.

Mounted on the deck and within said deck house is a rotary pump !2having a driven shaft i3 connected to said drive shaft if by means ofgearing I4 whereby the motor it serves to drive said pump. The inletconnection "i5 of said pump extends laterally without said deck houseand is inflected upwardly to receive thereover a downwardly inflectedend of a suction conduit i6. A suitable ball bearing assembly i'ieffects a bearing connection between the parts. The downwardly extendingend of the conduit It has mounted thereon a gear l8 meshing with a gearI9 fixed to a shaft 20 journaled in bearings 2i secured to the upperouter wall of the pump ii The shaft 29 is fashioned with a crank handle22 for manual operation whereby the conduit MS may be rotated relativeto the pump l2 and Water craft 5. The outer end of the conduit i6 islikewise inflected downwardly and receives thereover a telescopic sleeve23 fashioned with a subjacently extending suction or feed nozzle 24.Pivoted to the lower outer and inner edges of the nozzle 24 are a pairof rakes 25 adapted to be raised and lowered by means of connectedcables 26 trained over pulleys 21 mounted on the conduit I8 and drum 28likewise mounted on said conduit. The drum 28 is actuated by means of acrank handle 29 and the lowering of the rakes 25 serves to rake thewater growth within the area covered by the nozzle 24. Y

The pump I2 is provided with a discharge connection 38 effectingcommunication with a grinding device 3I. prises a hopper 32 havingdisposed therein a pair of coacting grinding rollers 33 rotated inopposite directions relative to each other by means of shafts 34 keyedthereto and connected by trained gearing 35 to the drive shaft II.

36 subjacent said rollers 33 and fashioned with a discharge port 37connected to the inlet side of a second pump 38 by means of a connection39. The pump 38 is provided with a driven shaft 48 connected to thedrive shaft I I by means of gearing 4i whereby the pump 38 is operated.The pump 38 is formed with a discharge connection 42 communicating withan upper chamber 43 of a rotary press 44, the latter being for thepurpose of more finely grinding and compressing the marine growth thusinsuring quick disposal and decay when the growth is discharged into thewater. Below the inlet chamber 43 the press 44 is fashioned with anadjustable cylindrical shaped side wall 45 for coaction with thegrinding wheel 46 rotatably mounted on a shaft 41 journaled in thehousing of the device and extends charge conduit 5I extending throughthe side of said craft.

The outer face of the grinding wheel 48, opposite the wall 45, is flutedwhereby particles of marine growth discharged therebetween are subjectedto a grinding and compressing operation for discharge through theconduit 5 I. The upper wall 52 of the chamber 43 is hinged at one sideas at 53 and maintained in closed position at the opposite side by meansof a spring 54 mounted on a rod 55 pivotally connected to the housing asat 58. The spring 54 normally maintains the wall 52 in closed position.However, should marine growth and the like become jammed within thehousing, said growth will act against the wall 52 and compress thespring whereby to actuate the wall 52 to an open position.

vThe conduit I5 and connected parts are supported by means of an arcuateshaped bracket 51 extending laterally of the deck house and con nectedto the side of the craft by means of downwardly and inwardly extendingbraces 58. The arcuate shaped bracket 57 constitutes a track forengagement with a roller 59 rotatably secured on the underface of theconduit. I8 by means of a bearing 88 whereby to support and permit freerotation of the conduit.

Secured to the lower edge of the nozzle 25 are ends of a pair of cablesM, the opposite ends being trained over pulleys 82 and connected to adrum 63 mounted on the conduit Iu by means of brackets having a shaftwhich is keyed to said drum iournaled therein. The shaft 55 is providedwith a crank handle 86 and a ratchet wheel 67 engageable by a pawl 88whereby the Said grinding device com drum is manually rotated tomaintain the nozzle in raised position. Release of the pawl 68 serves topermit lowering of the nozzle whereby the same is adjusted relative tothe surface of the water.

Secured to the side of the craft by means of cables I8 is a barge 'II. Apair of spacing members 32 secured to the deck of the craft serve tospace thebarge from said craft. The spacing members are'provided on theouter ends thereof with rollers I3 for engagement with the side of thebarge.

Mounted ona base frame on the deck of the barge is a grapple devicecomprising a rotatable deck '32 having a deck house I3 secured thereon.Secured to said deck house and extending therefrom above the surface ofthe water is an arm 74, the outer end of which is provided with a pairof pulleys "I5 over which are trained cables 16 and TI. The inner endsof said cables are trained over a pair of pulleys I8 and extenddownwardly for: connection with a pair of drums'IQ and88. The cable 76is connected to the drum I8 and the cable TI is connected to the drum88. Sam drums are fixed on a shaft 8| journaled in brackets 82 securedto the deck "I2., A pair of gears 83 and 84 are rotatably mounted on theshaft 8.! and mesh with a gear 85 mounted onthe drive shaft 88 of amotor 81. A clutch element 88 serves to eifect connection between thegear 83 and drum I9 and between the gear 84 and drum 88, said clutchelement being slidably keyed to the shaft 8i and operated into and outof clutched position with the respective gears by means of a handle 88connected thereto and carried by one of the brackets 82. Thisconstruction permits the cables to be selectively operated for a purposehereinafter described. The motor is provided with the usual reversingmechanism enclosed within a housing 89 and operated by means of areverse lever 98.

Mounted on the upper face of the base frame, subjacent the rotatabledeck I2, is a spur gear 9i secured thereto by means of bolts. A shaftextends through said gear and is connected to the deck I2 whereby saiddeck may pivot about said frame. The outer end of an auxiliary shaft 92,mounted subjacent the drive shaft 88; is pro- Vided with a bevel gear 93in mesh with a similar J gear 34 secured to the upper end of a verticalshaft 95 carried by the deck I2. The lower end of the shaft 85 has fixedthereto a gear 98 in mesh with the spur gear 9| whereby said deck isrotated upon actuation of the shaft 92. Slidably mounted on the shaft 82is a gear 9'! adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with a.gear 98 fixed on the drive shaft 88. A suitable handle 99 is connectedto the gear 91 and pivoted to the deck for manually shifting the gear9'1.

The upper face of the base frame has secured thereon a circumferentiallyextending track I88 over which travel rollers I8I carried by theunderside of the deck I2 and which support thedeck on the base frame. 7

Secured to the outer ends of the cables I6 and 11 are tongs having tinesections I82 pivotally Each of the tine sections has the lower endspivotally connected to the outer ends of the links H34 and the tinesections 182. The upper ends oi the rods it? are connected to l theouter end of the cable '16 by means of cable sections H33. From theforegoing it will be apparent that operation of the drum l9 through themedium of the motor 81 and connected parts serves to lower the tongs inopen position for engagement with water growth on the water bed.Actuation of the drum til through the medium of the cable '5? serves toclose the tongs about the water growth and raise'the same, therebydisengaging said growth from the water bed.

In operation, the water craft is moved over the surface of the wateradjacent an area from which it is desired to remove the water growth andthe suction conduit actuated over said area to position the suctionnozzle above the water growth. In this'position the pumps and grindingdevices are operated and the water growth below the nozzle is drawnthrough the suction conduit to the grinding devices and discharged backinto the water as heretofore described. In instances where the watergrowth is deeply rooted, the grapple'device is brought into operationand the tongs thereof lowered to loosen'the growth from the water bed asheretofore described.

From the foregoing it will be apparent" that my invention provides asimple and efficient means of removing water growth from navigablewaters and of grinding the same and redepositing the mass into the waterwhere it will sink and be destroyed.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, awater craft, a suction pump mounted on said craft, a grinding deviceconnected to the discharge end of said pump, a second pump connected tosaid grinding device, a grinding and compressing device connected tosaid second pump and having a discharge conduit extending without saidcraft, a suction con duit having a nozzle extending over said craft andconnected to said first mentioned pump, and means for adjusting saidnozzle relative to the surface of the water adjacent said craft wherebywater growth is removed from the water through said conduit to saiddevices for dischargeinto said water. I 1

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising, in combination, awater craft, a suction pump mounted on said craft, a grinding deviceconnected to the discharge end of said pump, a

second pump connected to said grinding device, a grinding andcompressing device connected to said second pump and having a dischargeconduit extending without said craft, a suction conduit having a nozzleextending over said craft and connected to said first mentioned pump,

means for adjusting said nozzle relative to the surface of the wateradjacent said craft whereby;

growth is removed from the water through said conduit to said devicesfor discharge into water, and means for adjusting said conduit relativeto said craft for removing desired areas of water growth from the water.

3. [an apparatus or" the class described, comsaid conduit to saiddevices for discharge into said water, means for adjusting saidconduitrelative to said craft for removing desired areas of water growth fromthe water, a barge connected to said craft, and a grapple device mountedon said barge and adapted to loosen water growth" for removal throughsaid nozzle.

4, An apparatus of the class described, com

prising, in combination, a water craft, a suction pump mounted on saidcraft, a grinding device connected to the discharge end of said pump, asecond pump connected 'to said grinding device, a grinding andcompressing device connected to said second pump and having a dischargeconduit extending without said craft, a suction conduit having a nozzleextending over said craft and connected to said first mentioned pump,means for adjusting said nozzle relative to the surface of the wateradjacent said craft whereby water growth is removed from the waterthrough said conduit to said devices for discharge into said Water, abarge connected to said craft, and a grapple device mounted on saidbarge and adapted to loosen water growth for removal through saidnozzle. r

EDDIE BELL.

